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Skin science article

ZO Skin Health Calming Toner Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

ZO Skin Health Calming Toner Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant This calming toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Allantoin to calm redness and refine skin texture. This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Aci

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

ZO Skin Health Calming Toner Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

This calming toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Allantoin to calm redness and refine skin texture.

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Hamamelis Virginiana Extract

Polysorbate 80

Glycolic Acid

Allantoin

Sodium PCA

Menthoxypropanediol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Disodium EDTA

Panthenol

Xanthan Gum

Parfum

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Benzyl Salicylate

Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde

Citronellol

Eugenol

Sodium Hydroxide

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Polysorbate 80, Glycolic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium PCA, Menthoxypropanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Citronellol, Eugenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Methylpropanediol

Butylene Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Camellia Oleifera Leaf

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Camellia Oleifera Leaf, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
  4. 04Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
  5. 05Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
  6. 06It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
  7. 07Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
  8. 08This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
  9. 09Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
  10. 10Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
  11. 11Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  12. 12Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  13. 13Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
  14. 14Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
  15. 15This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
  16. 16On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
  17. 17One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too st…
  18. 18Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
  19. 19You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
  20. 20Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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